Improvement in metallic wheelbarrows



J. UPSTONB. Metallic-Wheelbarrow.

-No. 207,225. Patented Ag. 20,1878.V

UNITED STATES PATENT @Futonl JOHN UPS'IONE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN METALLIC WHEELBARROWS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patenth'NO. 207,225, dated August 20, 1878; application filed May 7, 1878.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that- I, JOHN UPs'rONE, of the city and county of San Francisco, in the State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metallic Wheelbarrows; and I do hereby declare that the following is a clear, full, and exact description, reference being had to certain drawings accompanying this specification and forming a part thereof.

Thisinventionhas relation to metallic wheelbarrows; and the object or purpose thereof is to construct a wheelbarrow of metallic T- shaped straps or T-iron, and connect them together to form a frame and handles that will render the barrow strong` and durable, as will be hereinafter described, and subsequently pointed out in the claim.

Metallic wheelbarrows have been adopted almost to the exclusion of wooden ones in mines and other places where rough and heavy work is to be done. It is, therefore, essential that they be made strong and durable, and at the same time as light as possible.

To accomplish this I make the side bars, A, and cross-bars B, which compose the frame of thebarrow, of T-iron. This form of iron makes a more rigid and unyielding frame than any other form, because the rib or web of the iron is at right angles to the flat top plate, and extends longitudinally along underneath its middle, thus providing a flat upper surface for the tray C to rest upon, and a wide strengthening rib or an ge directly under it. It is important that the strengthening rib be directly under the middle of the ilat upper plata-because it gives greater rigidity against lateral strains, and it is not liable to twist in either direction. Besides this, it enables me to construct the barrow in better form and at less expense than it' the rib were under one edge of the flat plate.

The cross-bars B, I also make of T-iron, as follows: I cut off a portion of the upper at plate of each bar at each end, so that its ends will just come inside of the edges of the at side bars, leaving the web or rib of the crossbars extending at each end. I then bend a portion of these extended ends of the rib at right angles, as shown at Figures 4 and 5, so that the bent portions will t against the ribs of the side bars. I then secure the parts together with rivets or bolts and nuts, as dei sired. This arrangement makes a bracingjoint, so that the frame is rendered exceedingly strong and unyielding. At the same time the construction is simple and the parts easily put together. In some cases I shall use steel in the T form instead of T-iron.

To form the handles I cut off the web and bend the upper fiat bar into a tubular form, as shown. p

Each of the boxes or bearings G, in which the ends of the axle H bear, I make in a separate piece, and bolt or rivet it to the inside of the web or rib of the side bars, and to protect the outside of the box or bearing from dirt and dust I secure a plate, I, on the outside of each web or rib, so that it will cover the outside of the box, as shown at Fig. 2. The same rivets or bolts can fasten both the box G and plate I to the rib.

The ends of the axle H, I arrange to rotate in the boxes G when the wheel K is fixed to the axle, and I may provide set-screws for preventing the axle from rotating in the boxes when the wheel is loose. The wheel K may also beplaced loose upon the axle, andrprovided with set-screws for making it tight when desired, thus arranging for converting the loose wheel into a fixed wheel, as preferred.

By these improvements I provide a wheel barrow that is especially adapted for rough usage, and one that can be made easily and properly fitted together with little labor and expense;

Having described my improvements, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patl ent, is-

A metallic wheelbarrow having the T-iron side bars, A, connected by T-iron cross-braces B, the upper flat part of which is eut off at each end, so as to lit inside the edges of the flat part of the side bars, while the rib-extensions at each end are bent to lit against the rib portions of the side ,bars to which they are riveted or bolted, substantially as and for the purpose above described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my land and seal.

JOHN UPS'IONE,l [L sa] 

